Contingency
by Yamadori
Summary: Blue Dragon Anime. A little bit before Season One. A small accident occurs, and Noi finds himself meeting one of the “candidates”, Shu, before he was supposed to. Shu is now at risk, and Noi will have to choose - friendship or duty.
1. Prologue

**And here I am, uploading another new story. :D Should just be a few more uploads before I resume the updating-by-poll thing... Anyway, this would've been uploaded a little sooner, but I'm still not doing too good (I'm almost better, but not quite there yet), and there was a lot going on... That aside, though. :P The main concept of this story is this: Noi meets Shu before Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu, maybe a month or two before the original Season One would have started. Whether you've seen it or not, you may want to watch Noi's flashback scene in Episode 48 of Tenkai, since it gives a little backdrop to the story. So... I haven't had this idea for as long as some of my others, but I really, **_**really**_** like this one,** **and I'm very much looking forward to writing more of it. :) And... I think there was something else I needed to mention, but I forgot. XP There is one thing I **_**do**_** remember, and will make a quick, separate note of it:**

**NOTE: With the exception of possibly one or two chapters, the entire story will probably be in Noi's POV.**

**There's the note, and also another reason I'm looking forward to this so much. Though first person narrative will likely be a challenge, I love writing with Noi, since he's one of my favorite characters. :D Sadly, the only thing I've published on the site with Noi is a short scene in **_**Fierruneru no Unmei**_** (I have written a few things with him in it, but those were all future chapters of various stories). But, hopefully, I'll be able to write more about him now that **_**Contingency**_** is up and running. :) Now, that should be all for now, so after the disclaimer, read on! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon, don't claim to... And don't want to keep saying it. XP**

I don't really remember falling, but I remember waking up afterwards. I was surprised - Rudolf constantly feeds to us that we're mighty, powerful beings, so I hadn't expected it to hurt as much as it did.

I tried to move, and found that my left foot had been tangled in some brown, vine-like plant; it had wrapped itself around me up to just above my ankle.

I quickly started to try to pull it off and free myself. If someone should find me... No. That can't happen.

My mind flashes to what I observed earlier - a group of boys playing - and I quicken my attempts, though it's in vain. They weren't playing very far from here.

Speaking of which, it's exactly because I watched them that I'm in this situation. I let my curiosity get the better of me (again - it's not the first time I've seen them), and I stood on that cliff so I could get a good look without being seen. And then when I lost sight of them, and I turned to go, my foot slipped. And then there was the fall... But I don't really remember the fall.

And then I hear it - a voice echoing in the distance. I know the voice, because I heard it not too long ago. It's one of the boys.

I'm tugging frantically now, but the stupid plant still won't budge. His voice is getting closer, closer...

I freeze. He's too close. He's going to find me. He'll find me, and... Well, I don't know exactly what will happen then. But I _do_ know that it will be awful.

I hear the boy sigh. "Man, they found some really good hiding places this time..." he mumbles, most likely to himself, since no one else is around. Except for me, and he doesn't know I'm here. Yet.

I still don't resume pulling the plant away - he'll hear me for sure, and even if I did manage to miraculously untangle myself silently, I still couldn't get away without him seeing me.

"I wonder..." He speaks again. "No... They wouldn't... would they?" Even though I can only hear him, I can still visualize him shrugging as he says, "Well, I've looked everywhere else - might as well check here, too."

He takes a few steps - towards the bush I'm hidden behind. Then he starts pushing away the bush, and I start yanking on the vine again, hoping I can get away and hide-

"Oh." His voice is surprised, but gentle.

I gasp quietly and look up. He's found me. It's all over.

He blinks at me for a few moments, then smiles softly and starts moving through the bush. "Hey, what are you doing in here?" His words hold no accusation - just that same gentleness, maybe even more than before.

He kneels down next to me, and starts unraveling the vine-plant. "You gotta be careful with a Bramble Bush - you can get tangled up pretty bad unless you know how to get out of it."

In only a matter of seconds, he's freed me from it. Instinctively, I push myself back with my hands, but not very far - even though it's an action that couldn't be helped, even instinctually I know that it will do me no good.

He notices that I moved away, but his smile returns after a moment. "What are you doing here? You're not from around here, otherwise you wouldn't have wandered into a Bramble Bush. So..." He waits for my reply, but I don't give him one. He then tries anyway, "Are you lost?"

I only blink at him.

"Do your parents know where you are?"

I think I surprise both him and myself when I answer, albeit quietly. "I don't have any parents."

His outstretched hand flinches, and I see something flicker in his eyes - a pain that has been buried for a very, very long time. "I understand." After a moment collecting himself, he manages a small smile again. "What about grandparents, or some person who watches out for you?"

"My grandfather is very far away from here. He doesn't know where I am. And I don't really have anyone who looks after me." I must truly be a fool. I'm supposed to be getting _away_ from him, not telling him my life history! Oh, I'll be doomed for sure when I get back to the others...

His eyebrows furrow; he places his hands on his hips. "Well, you have to have someone who takes care of you."

I think of the others, either viciously teasing me or outright ignoring me, and Rudolf's punishments for misbehavior - it takes more effort than he'll probably ever know for me to not wince. "Not particularly."

"Well, that won't do..." He closes his eyes, thinking. When he opens them again, his smile is bright. "Tell you what - you can stay at my place for a while."

I start backing away again. "N-no, I really need to go - I have someone waiting for me-"

He tilts his head to the side. "I thought you didn't have anyone looking after you."

"I don't. But, but I- ugh!" I shake my head. "I have to go-" I move to stand, put pressure on my leg - and cry out, buckling towards the ground. Pain, foreign pain, shooting up my leg... Why is it hurting like that?...

"Hold still!" I hear him rush to my side - having my head down, I can't see him. I groan when he takes hold of my leg, and I roll myself onto my back. "I'm not good with injuries, but it's probably a sprain." He glances up, locking eyes with me. "But, even if that's not what it is, it doesn't seem broken, so that's at least _some_ good news."

I can't help but fidget a little - I'm not that used to contact with someone else. At least... Not when it wasn't hostile.

He looks off to the side. "I need to get you to the village; they'll be able to help you more than I can." He surprises me by hooking his arms under my legs and neck, and lifting-

"What are you _doing_?!" I kick out with my good leg, but they're too short to reach him.

He shrugs. "I have to get you there somehow, and it's obvious that you can't stand."

"But- but-" I'm sputtering, trying to gather my thoughts to find an excuse, completely humiliated. "It makes me seem like a baby!" Ugh, I can't believe that's the best I came up with...

"Oh." He blinks, and oddly enough, I see a bit of understanding in his eyes. "Here, I've got a better idea." He sets me down on the forest floor, then turns around in a crouch, arms held out behind him. "Come on, get on."

"..._What_?" It's the only thing I can manage to get out.

He looks over his shoulder a little. "It's better to be carried like a kid than like a baby, right?"

Instinctively, as I always do when called a child, I yell out, "I'm not a kid!!" Still, I can find his logic - it's better... Well, a _little_ better than being carried the other way. And he has a point - how else are we supposed to get there? I don't want to go - who knows how many more people will end up seeing me - but there's no way I can get back to the others if I don't do something to fix my leg.

With a reluctant sigh, I eventually oblige, and he hoists me up as he stands. My face feels hot from embarrassment, and I have to bury my head into his shirt to keep him from seeing.

A moment passes, then he says, "I know how you feel, actually. About being treated like a kid, I mean. My friend, she's always treating me like I'm a baby and like I can't do anything for myself... Most annoying thing in the world."

I don't say anything, but I feel a smile tugging at my lips. I'm not ducking my head into the fabric of his shirt anymore, and somehow, for the rest of the trek through the forest, I have a feeling that I won't.

After we've been going for a few more steps, he breaks the relative silence. "I'm Shu, by the way. What's your name?"

I swallow hard. I shouldn't tell him. We're not supposed to know each other.

But, I trust him for a reason I can't yet explain, and the name tumbles out of me before I have a chance for any regret. "Noi."

**And the prologue is done! :D I know; it's going a bit slow... But, I promise that it will gradually pick up as the chapters go on. ;) The first few chapters of this story focus mostly on the developing friendship between Noi and Shu - though there's a good chance that the **_**very**_** beginning will be Shu trying to get Noi to come out of his figurative shell - and then there should end up being a bit more action and adventure later on, while still continuing the friendship theme... But I don't want to say too much else, because that would spoil it. :P So, if you get the chance, please review and let me know what you think! :) As always, I'll try to update after 10 hits, but I've got a lot of stories going right now, so when **_**Contingency**_** will next be updated is undeterminable. However, I'll try to update soon. :) See you later! :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**Wow; I didn't expect this story to be the one I updated next. I had been alternating between this and **_**Braving the Storm**_**, which seemed to be progressing well, yet somehow I ended up finishing this chapter… Anyway. :P Not much to mention this time; still incredibly busy, and not really doing all that well, but otherwise things are the same as they've been the last few times. So… With that, I think it's a good time for the review replies. ;)**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Thank you. It's alright, though; right now, at least health-wise, I'm doing pretty well, I think. :) Thanks. :D Me, too; I love writing interactions between those two. :D But there will definitely be more of Shu and Noi to come (perhaps even this chapter). ;)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Thanks! :) Good to hear; I'm not used to writing that way, so I wasn't really sure how well I'd do. Wow, Shu, too? *blushes* Thank you. :D Ah… *further blushing* Thanks, An! :D (And good luck with your homework; I know it's been hard, but keep hanging in there! :))

**And review replies are done! :) Like before, there's not really much to mention… And there aren't any disclaimers or chapter titles, so… Read on!**

My eyes are drooping. I can't really place what it is, but something about Shu's footsteps, the rhythmic sound of them, is making me feel kind of sleepy. Maybe the events of the day are just finally catching up with me.

"Easy," Shu shifts his hold underneath my knee; I can tell from the way he moves that it's because his shoulder is strained. He doesn't even say anything about it. I feel a little guilty. "It shouldn't be too much longer-"

"Well, it's about time! _Where_ have you been?"

The voice that cuts through the air is young, female and furious.

Shu's back goes as stiff as a board. He mutters under his breath; he thinks it's too quiet for me to make it out, but my hearing is better than most humans, so I still hear him swear colorfully.

I look up when I hear the loud stomping, which I realize has actually been going on for a while - a girl is a short distance away, with three seemingly younger boys behind her. I recognize the trio as the kids who I saw with Shu earlier.

The girl stops a few feet away from Shu and I, hands placed firmly on her hips; from the space between herself and her curved arms, I see her yellow waistcloth fluttering in the light breeze. Her knuckles are ruffling the pink fabric of her dress. Her hair is a light brown, framing the right side of her face (_her_ right, I should say; it looks like the left for me), done in a ponytail held together by an intricately tied yellow ribbon. Her eyes are green, greener than even mine or Hildegard's. They're the kind of eyes that pierce you through. "So? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Um... Hi." Shu says the word like he's posing a question. I feel bad from him. This girl means business.

Her eyes narrow dangerously. "'Hi' yourself. Do you even _remember_ what today is?"

Being so close to him, I can hear Shu swallow. "No."

"Well? How about you three?" She gives each of the boys behind her an accusing glance; they accordingly hang their heads in shame. "All of you just happen to _conveniently_ forget, is that it?"

Shu sighs. "Come on, Kluke, what's the big deal?"

She turns to him with a withering stare. "The _big deal_?" Quick as flash, she's striding towards him, and then, she's directly in front of him, her pointing finger stabbing at his chest. "The _big deal_ is that the choir was singing today, _I_ had the solo, you _promised_ me you would be there, and you _weren't_!" The last word is almost a cry. If nothing else, it's pain-filled.

Shu blanches. "I... I thought it was tomorrow. Wednesday."

"_Tuesday_, Shu! It was Tuesday, and you promised!" She crosses her arms across her chest. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was, going up there to sing in front of practically the entire village, knowing that none of you were in the audience? Do you, Shu?"

Shu looks down. "Kluke, I..."

She lets out a gusty breath. "You know, Shu, I've-" She cuts off, eyes wide with surprise. She's finally noticed the thing that she hadn't notice before. Me. "Who...?"

Shu lifts his head again. His expression is brighter as he looks at me over his shoulder. "This is Noi. I found him in the forest; his foot was tangled up in a Bramble Bush." He frowns in Kluke's direction. "I think his foot is sprained, though."

"Oh..." She tucks some hair behind her ear. She seems abashed. "Hi, there. I... I'm sorry this is the first thing you saw coming into the village. It's just kind of... bad timing. Shu is very forgetful, but it's not all his fault," she lowers her eyes, and I can see from the widening pairs of eyes behind her that the trio of boys are surprised. "I have a really bad temper."

Shu rushes in before she has a chance to say anything else, "I'm sorry, Kluke. All of this was my fault anyway..."

She shakes her head. "It's okay, Shu. Besides, we should talk in a little while," Kluke nods at me. "First, we need to get this kid some help."

I can't help it. "I'm not a kid!" Kluke's head jerks back from my yell, and Shu yelps because I screamed right in his ear. I'll feel bad about that later, probably, once I'm not angry and can think calmly.

Kluke shakes off her surprise. "Sheesh, you're worse than Shu. Come on, guys," she turns and gestures for everyone to follow. "Let's get back to the village."

When Shu starts walking, I say in a low voice, "I take it that _this_ is the girl you mentioned earlier?"

A grim nod. "Yep."

I sigh a little. "Tough luck."

"You have no idea."

* * *

Talta, I soon discover, is both bustling and quiet, all sandy ground and houses sporting wooden porches that are almost platforms with thin stairs. I'm not sure what to think of it yet, except for feeling a vague excitement, because it's unlike anything I've ever seen. Still, that would go for most of the things on this planet, anyway.

"So, this is our home." Shu tells me, trying to be conversational to avoid silence.

"It's..." I search for a word, deciding on, "...interesting."

Shu laughs. "That's one way to put it, I guess."

"Aniki thinks it's boring, though." The smallest boy says; I start at the name, because I can't find any familial resemblance between them.

"Hibiki!" Shu scolds him.

"The two of you are brothers?" I question Shu, incredulous. I'm still trying to search for similarities, but I'm not finding any.

"Not by blood, no," Shu explains before grinning over at the trio. I can see it in his eyes; a kind of warm affection. "But, to Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Taichi, I'm their big brother in all the ways that matter."

Hibiki gives a cheerful nod. "Aniki is Aniki!"

I'm suddenly struck with something, a sudden emptiness. These boys... In human years, I'm probably around their age, yet I'm more powerful than them by far. But they have a brother, even if he isn't actually related to them, who loves and cares about them. In my whole life, I've had no relation who's given me an inkling of the care that Shu has given to them. And even though I've never had it, I still feel the loss of it, a painful weight that's heavy in my chest.

"Noi?" Shu sounds worried, probably noticing how my arms and hands have rather abruptly tightened around him. "Are you okay?"

I answer with a question. "... Are we almost there?"

"Soon." He shifts his grip on me, and his pace increases. "Hang on. I'll hurry."

I let my forehead fall against his shoulder, and once again curse myself for my stupidity when I slipped off that cliff.

* * *

The house we enter is like the other ones we passed by, but it's the first time I'm seeing the inside of one. Its walls are clay, the floors wooden. Sunlight is streaming in from round windows, but it isn't terribly bright otherwise. I wrinkle my nose; it smells like wood and dust. I'm still deciding if it's a good smell or a bad one. Either way, it could probably be considered unusual (at least for an outsider like me).

"Toyodeh!" Kluke calls down the hallway. "Toyodeh, are you here?"

After a moment, a woman's voice echoes from down the hallway. "... In my room."

Kluke looks over her shoulder, gestures for us to follow. The boys are right behind her, but Shu stops for a minute, shifting me around quickly. I realize suddenly that the reason for his speed is so that I couldn't stop him - I find myself held in front of him, his arms under my head and knees.

"I'm sorry," he says before I can say anything, and I stop, because he sounds genuinely apologetic. "I'll need to put you on a bed, so..."

I sigh. "Fine. Go ahead."

When we've caught up to the others, right before we go inside the now open doorway, I hear Kluke in the room ahead, "Shu found a little boy that hurt his foot, and we were wondering if you could help..."

When we go inside, I see that she'd been talking to an old woman, shortened by age, an orange shawl draped over her head and shoulders, partially obscuring the blue-violet shirt she wears. The skirt she has on, matching the shawl, brushes across the floor as she approaches Shu and I, her cane tapping decisively against the floorboards. She squints past Shu, at me. "This boy, hm?"

"Yeah," Shu nods, crossing the room in a few steps before laying me down on a bed against the wall. The quilt is soft, and against my will, I sink into it slightly. "He fell from pretty high; got tangled in a Bramble Bush. I'm not sure how bad it is, but..."

The woman interrupts. "Pointy ears," she waves her cane at me. "Not human."

My lips twist downward as I clutch at the quilt. Why couldn't Shu have left me where I was?

"So what if he's not human?" Shu says sharply, and I realize, with a jolt, that he's angry, and just barely holding it back. "He's still hurt."

"Yes, yes, of course he is." The words are almost dismissive, but I get the impression this is aimed more at Shu than at me. She leans towards Hibiki, murmurs something to him, and without another word, he hurries out of the room. "Kluke, dear, get some bandages for me, will you?"

"Sure." Kluke walks over to some shelves. I hear some kind of glass moved around, most likely bottles, before she pulls down a white box, coming back over and handing it to Toyodeh.

After a quick nod and word of thanks, the old woman makes her way over to me and sits on the bed. "Now," her voice is surprisingly gentle, considering how blunt she had been before, and I think maybe I might have judged her too soon as she continues, "let's see if we can get you fixed up."

* * *

I move my wrapped foot awkwardly. I've never had a bandage on before, and it feels strange. But even stranger is that herbal balm (I found out that's what Hibiki had gone to get) she put on before the white cloth; it still feels slippery, and still smells strongly of plants and something earthy.

I'm feeling a bit bored at the moment. All of the boys, including Shu, were shooed out of the room when Toyodeh started the process of getting my foot bandaged. And after it was done, she and Kluke left the room so all of them could talk outside. I have no idea what about, but I can still hear their voices.

I stare at the ceiling. Toyodeh. Taichi. Tsubasa. Hibiki. Kluke. Shu. Six people that I've met, all in one day. I'm not supposed to be meeting _anyone_. When he finds out, Rudolf will be furious.

But I can't really say I'm all that worried. I should be, but I'm not. Maybe some of my self-preservation deserted me after I fell.

I like it here, though. It's surprising, to me more than anyone, but I do. There's a certain warmth in this place, in these people, that comes from more than just the sun above (which is especially hot here, I might add).

I know that eventually, I'll have to leave. But, for now, I'd like to try to make the best of it.

The door opens, and Shu steps inside. My eyes dart towards him as he closes the door behind him, and he offers a sheepish grin.

He comes and sits on the bed next to me. "How's it feeling?" He gestures to my foot.

"Strange," I answer. "But not necessarily bad."

He nods, then hesitates. When he speaks again, I think I understand why. "You won't be able to stand on it for a while, and it'll have to be bandaged regularly."

I wait for a minute, hoping that he'll suddenly say he's joking. When he doesn't, I sit up rapidly, leaning on my elbows. "_What_?"

"Toyodeh doesn't think that it's broken, but it's a pretty bad twist," he pulls at the quilt threads. "If we had more than herbs and bandages, it might heal okay, but..." He gives a small shrug, and his smile is strangely sad. "That's what happens when your village doctor has been dead for eight years, and the only other people with medical experience either have strictly herbal knowledge or are just rare doctors passing through."

My flash of anger gives away to curiosity. "What happened to the village doctor?"

Shu looks surprised for a moment, then seems nervous. "I think... it would be better if you asked Kluke."

I furrow my eyebrows. "Why?"

He looks away from me. "The village doctor was her father."

"Oh." The word leaves me in a surprised breath.

"But, yeah," he turns his head toward me again. "That's why it's better if you ask her. Anyway, Toyodeh says that if you prefer, as long as I carry you there, you can come and stay at my house. Kluke and the boys alternate living here and with me, otherwise you could've stayed with them if you wanted. That's beside the point, though; it's up to you where you want to stay while you're healing up. It's fine with us either way."

I fidget on the bed. "I don't want to be a burden."

"You won't be," he grins widely. "I promise."

"So..." I fight down the embarrassment I feel bubbling up. "It's alright if I stay with you, then?"

"Sure thing." He chuckles, "It'll probably give Grandpa one heck of a surprise, but he won't mind." He stands up; the quilt is still ruffled from where he sat. "In that case, I'll go let everyone know, and after that, we'll head out."

"Head out?" I ask, as he starts toward the door.

"Yep. My house is on the village outskirts. Grandpa likes the quiet; he says it helps him work." With a hand on the door, he gives a short wave. "See you in a minute."

After the door thuds behind him, I gaze at the ceiling again. Grandpa. Seven. Rudolf won't just be furious; he'll be positively _enraged_.

And yet, I still can't bring myself to care.

* * *

The walk to Shu's house is nice. The trees filter the sun so it's not hot, just comfortably warm, and the way the light threads through the leaves and onto the path makes for a pleasant scene.

Shu carries me like he did before, on his back, moving neither fast nor slow. Kluke walks at his side, chatting quietly yet genially with the boys. I catch bits of their conversation every once and a while, but I'm not really listening, being once again slightly drowsy from the sun's warmth and the day's excitement.

I snap out of it a bit when we finally arrive. The house is in a clearing, and looks much like Toyodeh's and the others, except that it has more wood and no porch.

"We're here," Shu smiles at me from over his shoulder, "home."

I relax fully as the realization hits me, about that warmth from everyone and everything that I wasn't able to truly define.

But I know what it is now. It's the feeling of home, and the sense of peace and safety that comes along with it.

And I think, then, of how fortunate Shu and his friends are. They have something truly wonderful, even if they don't know it.

**Chapter 1 done! :) I could've made it a bit longer, but I thought that would be a good place to end it. I'm afraid that maybe it's going too slow, but I'll let you guys be the ones to decide that. ;) So… If you can, please review and let me know what you thought of it! :) I'm aiming to update this after 10 hits, but what decides that will mostly be the poll on my profile. The poll results will be cleared, so please remember to vote again/for the first time! :) And… I believe that's everything I needed to mention. See you soon! :D**


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